Giaour 3
= The Giaour Part 3 = a fragment of a Turkish tale Part 3 Lines 501 - 1000 Text from the 11th Print Edition, 1814 Printed by T. Davison for J. Murray Lines 1001-1100 # "Than bear a life of lingering woes # "My spirit shrunk not to sustain # "The searching throes of ceaseless pain; # "Nor sought the self-accorded grave # "Of ancient fool, and modern knave: # "Yet death I have not fear'd to meet, # "And in the field it had been sweet # "Had danger wooed me on to move # "The slave of glory, not of love. # "I've brav'd it not for honour's boast; # "I smile at laurels won or lost. # "To such let others carve their way, # "For high renown, or hireling pay; # "But place again before my eyes # "Aught that I deem a worthy prize; # "The maid I love the man I hate # "And I will hunt the steps of fate, # "(To save or slay as these require) # "Through rending steel, and rolling fire; # "Nor need'st thou doubt this speech from one # "Who would but do what he hath done. # "Death is but what the haughty brave # "The weak must bear the wretch must crave # "Then let Life go to him who gave; # "I have not quailed to danger's brow # "When high and happy need I now? # "I lov'd her, friar! nay, adored # "But these are words that all can use # "I prov'd it more in deed than word # "If There's blood upon that dinted sword # "A stain it's steel can never lose: # " 'Twas shed for her, who died for me, # "It warmed the heart of one abhorred: # "Nay, start not no nor bend thy knee, # "Nor midst my sins such act record, # "Thou wilt absolve me from the deed, # "For he was hostile to thy creed ! # "The very name of Nazarene # "Was wormwood to his Paynim spleen, # "Ungrateful fool! since but for brands, # "Well wielded in some hardy hands; # "And wounds by Galileans given, # "The surest pass to Turkish heav'n; # "For him his Houris still might wait # "Impatient at the prophet's gate. # "I lov'd her love will find its way # 'Through paths where wolves would fear to prey, # "And if it dares enough, 'twere hard # "If passion met not some reward # "No matter how or where or why, # "I did not vainly seek nor sigh: # "Yet sometimes with remorse in vain # "I wish she had not love again. # "She died I dare not tell thee how, # "But look 'tis written on my brow! # "There read of Cain the curse and crime, # "In characters unworn by time: # "Still, ere thou dost condemn me pause # "Not mine the act, though I the cause; # "Yet did he but what I had done # "Had she been false to more than one; # "Faithless to him he gave the blow, # "But true to me I laid him low; # "Howe'er deserv'd her doom might be, # "Her treachery was truth to me; # "To me she gave her heart, that all # "Which tyranny can ne'er enthrall; # "And I, alas! too late to save, # " Yet all I then could give I gave # " 'Twas some relief our foe a grave. # "His death sits lightly ; but her fate # "Has made me what thou well may'st hate. # "His doom was seaPd he knew it well, # "Warn'd by the voice of stern Taheer, # "Deep in whose darkly boding ear # "The deathshot peal'd of murder near # "As filed the troop to where they fell! # "He died too in the battle broil # "A time that heeds nor pain nor toil # "One cry to Mahomet for aid, # "One prayer to Alil all he made: # "He knew and crossed me in the fray # "I gazed upon him where he lay, # "And watched his spirit ebb away; # "Though pierced like Pard by hunters' steel, # "He felt not half that now I feel. # "I search'd, but vainly search'd to find, # "The workings of a wounded mind; # "Each feature of that sullen corse # "Betrayed his rage, but no remorse. # "Oh, what had Vengeance given to trace # "Despair upon his dying face ! # "The late repentance of that hour, # "When Penitence hath lost her power # "To tear one terror from the grave # "And will not soothe, and can not save # "The cold in clime are cold in blood, # "Their love can scarce deserve the name; # "But mine was like the lava flood # "That boils in ^Etna's breast of flame, Lines 1101-1200 # "I cannot prate in puling strain # "Of ladye-love, and beauty's chain; # "If changing cheek, and scorching vein- # "Lips taught to writhe, but not complain # "If bursting heart, and mad'ning brain # "And daring deed, and vengeful steel # "And all that I have felt and feel # "Betoken love that love was mine, # "And shewn by many a bitter sign. # " 'Tis true, I could not whine nor sigh, # "I knew but to obtain or die. # "I die but first I have possest, # "And come what may, I have been blest; # "Shall I the doom I sought upbraid? # "No reft of all yet undismayed # "But for the thought of Leila slain, # "Give me the pleasure with the pain, # "So would I live and love again. # "I grieve, but not, my holy guide! # "For him who dies, but her who died; # "She sleeps beneath the wandering wave, # "Ah! had she but an earthly grave, # "This breaking heart and throbbing head # "Should seek and share her narrow bed. # "She was a form of life and light # "That seen became a part of sight, # "And rose where'er I turned mine eye # "The Morning-star of Memory! # "Yes, Love indeed is light from heaven # "A spark of that immortal fire # "With angels shar'd by Alia given, # "To lift from earth our low desire. # "Devotion wafts the mind above, # "But Heaven itself descends in love # "A feeling from the Godhead caught, # "To wean from self each sordid thought # "A Ray of him who form'd the whole # "A Glory circling round the soul! # "I grant my love imperfect all # "That mortals by the name miscall # "Then deem it evil what thou wilt # "But say, oh say, hers was not guilt! # "She was my life's unerring light # "That quench'd what beam shall break my night? # "Oh ! would it shone to lead me still, # "Although to death or deadliest ill! # "Why marvel ye? if they who lose # " 'This present joy, this future hope, # "No more with sorrow meekly cope # "In phrenzy then their fate accuse # "In madness do those fearful deeds # "That seem to add but guilt to woe, # "Alas! the breast that inly bleeds # "Hath nought to dread from outward blow # "Who falls from all he knows of bliss, # "Cares little into what abyss. # "Fierce as the gloomy vulture's now # "To thee, old man, my deeds appear # "I read abhorrence on thy brow, # "And this too was I bom to bear! # " "Vis true, that, like that bird of prey, # "With havock have I mark'd my way # "But this was taught rue by the dove # "To die and know no second love. # "This lesson yet hath man to learn, # "Taught by the thing he dares to spurn # "The bird that sings within the brake, # "The swan that swims upon the lake, # "One mate, and one alone, will take. # "And let the fool still prone to range, # "And sneer on all who cannot change # "Partake his jest with boasting boys, # "I envy not his varied joys # "But deem such feeble, heartless man, # "Less than yon solitary swan # "Far far beneath the shallow maid # "He left believing and betray'd. # "Such shame at least was never mine # "Leila each thought was only thine! # "My good, my guilt, my weal, my woe, # "My hope on high my all below. # "Earth holds no other like to thee, # "Or if it doth, in vain for me # "For worlds I dare not view the dame # "Resembling thee, yet not the same. # "The very crimes that mar my youth # "This bed of death attest my truth # " 'Tis all too late thou wert thou art # "The cherished madness of my heart! # "And she was lost and yet I breathed, # "But not the breath of human life # "A serpent round my heart was wreathed, # "And stung my every thought to strife. # "Alike all time abhorred all place, # "Shuddering I shrunk from Nature's face, # "Where every hue that charmed before # "The blackness of my bosom wore: # "The rest thou do'st already know, # "And all my sins and half my woe # "But talk no more of penitence, Lines 1201-1300 # "Thou see'st I soon shall part from hence # "And if thy holy tale were true # "The deed that's done can'st thou undo? # Think me not thankless but this grief # Looks not to priesthood for relief. # My soul's estate in secret guess # But vvoulcTst thou pity more say less # When thou can'st bid my Leila live, # Then'will I sue thee to forgive; # Then plead my cause in that high place # Where purchased masses proffer grace # Go when the hunter's hand hath wrung # From forest-cave her shrieking young, # And calm the lonely lioness # But soothe not mock not my distress! # "In earlier days, and calmer hours, # "When heart with heart delights to blend, # "Where bloom my native valley's bowers # "I had Ah! have I now? a friend! # "To him this pledge I charge thee send # "Memorial of a youthful vow; # "I would remind him of my end, # "Though souls absorbed like mine allow # "Brief thought to distant friendship's claim, # "Yet dear to him my blighted name. # " 'Tis strange he prophesied my doom, # "And I have smil'd (I then could smile ) # "When Prudence would his voice assume, # "And warn I reck'd not what the while # "But now remembrance whispers o'er # "Those accents scarcely mark'd before. # "ay that his bodings came to pass, # "And he will start to hear their truth, # "And wish his words had not been sooth, # "Tell him unheeding as I was # "Through many a busy bitter scene # "Of all our golden youth had been # "In pain, rny faultering tongue had tried # "To bless his memory ere I died ; # "But heaven in wrath would turn away, # "If Guilt should for the guiltless pray. # "I do not ask him not to blame # "Too gentle he to wound my name; # "And what have I to do with fame? # "I do not ask him not to mourn, # "Such cold request might sound like scorn; # "And what than friendship's manly tear # "May better grace a brother's bier? # "But bear this ring his own of old # "And tell him what thou dost behold ! # "The wither'd frame, the ruined mind, # "The wrack by passion left behind # "A shrivelled scroll, a scattered leaf, # "Sear'd by the autumn blast of grief! # "Tell me no more of fancy's gleam, # "No, father, no, 'twas not a dream; # "Alas ! the dreamer first must sleep, # "I only watch'd, and wish'd to weep; # "But could not, for my burning brow # "Throbb'd to the very brain as now. # "I wish'd but for a single tear, # "As something welcome, new, and dear; # "I wish'd it then I wish it still, # "Despair is stronger than my will. # "Waste not thine orison despair # "Is mightier than thy pious prayer; # "I would not, if I might, be blest, # "I want no paradise but rest. # " 'Twas then, I tell thee, father! then # "I saw her yes she liv'd again; # "And shining in her white symar, 4 * # "As through yon pale grey cloud the star # "Which now I gaze on, as on her # "Who look'd and looks far lovelier; # "Dimly I view its trembling spark # "To-morrow's night shall be more dark # "And I before its rays appear, # "That lifeless thing the living fear. # "I wander, father! for my soul # "Is fleeting towards the final goal; # "I saw her, friar ! and I rose, # "Forgetful of our former woes; # "And rushing from my couch, I dart, # "And clasp her to my desperate heart; # "I clasp what is it that I clasp? # "No breathing form within my grasp, # "No heart that beats reply to mine, # "Yet, Leila ! vet the form is thine! # " ' And art thou, dearest, chang'd so much, # "As meet my eye, yet mock my touch? # "Ah! were thy beauties e'er so cold, # " I care not so my arms enfold # "The all they ever wish'd to hold. # "Alas! around a shadow prest, # "They shrink upon my lonely breast; # "Yet still 'tis there in silence stands, # "And beckons with beseeching hands! # "With braided hair, and bright-black eye # "I knew 'twas false she could not die! # "But he is dead within the deli Lines 1301-1332 # "I saw him buried where he fell; # He comes not for he cannot break # "From earth why then art thou awake? # "They told me, wild waves rolld above # "The face I view, the form I love; # "They told me 'twas a hideous tale! # "I'd tell it but my tougue would fail # "If true and from thine ocean-cave # "Thou com'st to claim a calmer grave; # "Oh ! pass thy dewy fingers o'er # "This brow that then will burn no more; # "Or place them on my hopeless heart # "But, shape or shade! whute'er thou art, # "In mercy, ne'er again depart # "Or farther with thee bear my soul, # "Than winds can waft or waters roll! # "Such is my name, and such my tale, # "Confessor to thy secret ear, # "I breathe the sorrows I bewail, # "And thank thee for the generous tear # "This glazing eye could never shed, # "Then lay me with the humblest dead, # "And save the cross above my head, # "Be neither name nor emblem spread # "By prying stranger to be read, # "Or stay the passing pilgrim's tread." # He pass'd nor of his name and race # Hath left a token or a trace, # Save what the father must not say # Who shrived him on his dying day; # This broken tale was all we knew # Of her he lov'd, or him he slew. 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